Bostik heading west in a strong breeze

by Clémentine Chaignaud - SailingOne on 8 Jul 2008 Bostik, the first boat of the Veolia Oceans® one-design series of the SolOceans left Cherbourg Harbour yesterday at 3.30pm sharp towards New York City, in a strong force 6 gusting breeze. Alexia Barrier, Bostik skipper for this Reconnaissance Transatlantic on the historical road of the great liners, crossed the departure line on the canon shot, at eleven knots of speed close hauled (facing the wind) on the direct course.

While a gale warning paralysed at shore all the regattas taking place at the moment in the English Channel, Bostik set sail in the traditional conditions of the single-handed English Transat, with three strong depressions to deal with at the beginning of this week. Ideal conditions to perfect the preparation of the Veolia Oceans® one-design series, while the second unit will be out of JMV Industries yard during the third week of July.

Charles Caudrelier, the usual skipper of Bostik who is staying in France as he is expecting a happy event, saw for the first time the long red monohull (16 metres) putting off without him. Nonetheless, he will be helping the crew consisted of Alexia Barrier, Phil Paxton the Canadian and by Yann Clavier, the Boat Captain, by giving them advice in terms of sailing in relation to the weather forecast. 'One could think that in the middle of the summer the Northern Atlantic Ocean is milder than in the spring, but it s not the case.

Bostik will encounter three strong depressions with breezes gusting at 45 knots (Force 8 to 9). It s a southwest wind or west wind, so just on the direct course. This will force the crew to go really north. They will then have to find the opportunity to go down south to negotiate the anticyclone in formation in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean'

Charles Caudrelier will also see to the security: 'We have set up an 'ice gate', in other terms a compulsory passage point just below Newfoundland. It is nearly the same gate as the gate used in the single-handed Artemis Transat last month and it should prevent Bostik from sailing through the Icebergs that are drifting more and more in the south of the great circle route (the direct route on the Globe) because of the global warming'.

Yvan Griboval, CEO of SailingOne (Eurosport Group) and Creator and Organizer of the SolOceans and of this return Transatlantic race towards New York City, explained the reasons of this navigation on the pontoon of Cherbourg Harbour where Bostik was moored. 'The first reason consist of recognizing the course of the annual Transatlantic between Cherbourg and New York City sailed by the Veolia Oceans® one-design with four crew with at least two amateur sailors in other terms two sailors who are not paid to sail.

It could be, for example, the yacht-owner/sponsor, a VIP guest or a journalist. The way back of the Transatlantic from New York City to Europe, will be double-handed with a departure only a few days after the arrival of the transatlantic from Europe. This course, usually swept by summer depressions will put the Veolia Oceans® one-design and her skipper in sailing conditions similar to those of the SolOceans strong bearing breeze, a low ambient temperature and a reduced visibility. Like in the Great South'.

'The second motivation for this return navigation in the Northern Atlantic Ocean consist in testing the Veolia Oceans® one-design in conditions we haven t encountered yet: sailing on the wind (facing the wind) in a strong breeze and a regular oceanic swell. As opposed to the IMOCA 60 prototypes of the Vendée Globe who load several tonnes of sea water in their ballasts in order to gain power when facing the wind, we have decided not to load down the Veolia Oceans® one-design of one single litre of sea water at this speed. The incline of the keel and several architectural tricks from Cabinet Finot- Conq and Associates offer the guarantee of great performances in those conditions'.

'In fact, intellectually and in a personal capacity as a former oceanic racer, I will never decide to built a high tech sailing yacht in carbon and considerably increasing the cost the get rid of unnecessary kilograms if as a consequence you have to embark hundred of kilograms of sea water to sail on the wind! So, with Jean-Marie Finot and Pacal Conq, the designer of the Veolia Oceans® one-design, we have decided not to built any ballast for the navigation on the wind. '

The two ballasts of approximately 1,300 litres each, located in the angle at the back of the hull, were conceived for security reasons. They will be filled with sea water when the Veolia Oceans® one-design will sail rear wind with strong breeze and in a high steep sea, in order to avoid any risk that the boat dig in. Then each crew will be free to find other use to those ballasts in order to optimize the performances of the Veolia Oceans® one-design. But as they will be all identical one to the other, the use will only depends on the decision of the sailors. It is the philosophy of the SolOceans in particular and on the one-design in general'.

Alexia Barrier, the current Skipper of Bostik and Phil Paxton have embarked with a precise idea in mind, as the young solo-sailor Alexia Barrier reminded us: 'I want to race the SolOceans and for me it s a great opportunity to both discover the Veolia Oceans® one-design and to built up a strong experience before having my own boat'. As for Phil Paxton, he is on the same wavelength: 'Ive reserved the fourth unit of the series of the Veolia Oceans® one-design and it is important for me to sail beforehand on the real conditions of oceanic race. It is a good training more than a year before the start of the SolOceans'.

The SolOceans is the first single-handed round-the-world oceanic sailing race sailed on equal footing on sixteen-metre high-tech monohull (52.5 foot) all identical to each others: the Veolia Oceans® one design, named after the Main Sponsor of the SolOceans race, Veolia Environmental Services. The first edition of this round-the-world tour will start from Caen la mer urban area (France) on 25 October 2009, after a prologue at Cherbourg (France). The solo-sailors will stopover in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, before setting sails for Normandy for a final arrival at Cherbourg (France). This round-the-world Tour around the three Capes (Good Hope in South Africa, Leeuwin in Australia and Horn in South America) is made of two legs. Each leg will last between 50 to 55 days, for a total journey of 26,000 nautical miles (48,000 kilometres) around the planet. The SolOceans will be raced every two years.